The Great West Coast Tour - Day Six

Our day began with a 5:15 alarm so we could head to CrossFit Zion. A low tire gauge meant that Z drove the three of us to CrossFit.

Solid workout there.

We did a modified “DT” that was a 12 minute AMRAP, adding 25 DU’s/50 SU’s at the beginning of each round.

We WOD’ed here for the week so I was glad to like the facility, people, and coaches.

We got all settled into the house.

Buds and I found a coffee shop to enjoy while a tire was replaced on the minivan. I was so grateful it didn’t go flat until we were settled in at the house.

We enjoyed this quirky coffee shop so much we made several stops here over the week.

This velvet conquistador was the same one we had over our couch growing up. That was freaky. I think I always believed ours was one of a kind.

The one in the coffee shop:

Here’s my dad snuggling on the couch with Little George, Jr. with the velvet painting behind them.

And this bathroom sign I love.

On this first full day of Gem-Fest, Buds was still on-call for work, so Yessa headed off with the rest of the families to Gunlock State Park. Yessa loves this chance to be with cousins, so others graciously included her in their trips all week long.

She’s in the background of this shot.

After the tire was fixed, Buds and I headed into St. George to explore. We began our initial exploration of Snow Canyon:

Stopped for custard:

And toured the local art museum:

The art museum didn’t allow any pictures of the art, but you can see some of one of the three exhibits that were there when we toured. They had a reading area set up with books that related to the exhibits that were hung, which was a fantastic idea. It was a pleasure to sit and read in the cool air for awhile, before heading upstairs for the other two exhibits.

There was a water color “Water” exhibit, a “Protest Quilts” exhibit, and our favorite; an series of oil paintings by an EMT who used art to process his complex feelings around the medical emergencies and tragedies he dealt with over the years.

And a reminder of why we are all committed to continuing to make Gem-Fest happen each year:

Cousin snuggles and bonding are among the best gifts.

They each had their own bed, but when one cousin didn’t want to rise and shine, she had her cousins there to “help.”

Another great day passes in the dry heat of Utah.